Edgewood is a 'Cool School,' says Fox 8 News

WOOSTER DISTRICT — Visitors to Edgewood Middle School may need to shade their eyes to deflect the brightness of the school's new celebrity status, or wear sunglasses just to fit in.

The PTO purchased more than 800 pairs of sunglasses for students and staff to mark the occasion of Edgewood's distinction this week as a Fox 8 News Cool School. Each week during the school year, three school nominees are put up for a public vote as a "Cool School" by Fox 8.

This week, after a limited time to vote provided by the news channel, Edgewood topped the list, scoring 2,200 votes in a contest with the middle schools in Conneaut and Lorain.

Two seventh-grade students, Molly Byrne and Seth Jarrett, will represent the school when it is featured on Fox 8 Thursday morning between 6:30-6:50 a.m. As part of the Fox 8 "Cool School" award, the two students will meet with the news anchors for the Coffee Quiz. The segment will be broadcast again Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m.

"It was Brad's idea to purchase sunglasses for the entire school," said Terri Jarrett, a PTO member, referring to Edgewood Principal Brad Warner. "At lunch we sell ice cream, so we took some of the proceeds to give back to the kids (by buying the glasses)."

Warner said he first found out about Edgewood's nomination for the honor about a week and a half ago from a parent who came to pick up her child and told him, "You guys are up for an award."

"It was an anonymous nomination," said Warner, and although he has tried to figure out the source, "No one will let the cat out of the bag."

The school secretaries checked into it, said Warner, and after the details were explored, the kids "jumped all over it and started voting."

When the TV film crew arrived at Edgewood on Wednesday morning, Dec. 6, the entire school was waiting. As the crew walked into the gym, "the place erupted," said Warner, noting one of the film crew members reported, "I've never seen anything like it."

From 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Wednesday, Fox 8 captured classrooms scenes featuring technology and science, "bowling" between lines laid out in the gym, activities at the Boys & Girls Club of Wooster and the library.

"These are things that the kids will remember forever," Warner said, making "memories the kids will cherish."

The award is most certainly going to be memorable for Byrne and Seth Jarrett, who, with Warner as their chauffeur, planned to leave bright and early for their studio debut.

While excited about it, Jarrett pointed out early rising to leave before 5 a.m. as a challenge.

Byrne said she would have to go to bed at 8 p.m. on Wednesday night to get ready on time.

"It’s live TV," Jarrett emphasized.

It is an opportunity "to step out of your comfort zone," and "not something every seventh-grader gets to do," Byrne said.

Reporter Linda Hall can be reached at lhall@the-daily-record.com or 330-264-1125, ext. 2230. She is @lindahallTDR on Twitter.